Chronicles of Ilandri - Volume 1

Prison Walls (Pt.1)

Nathaniel had waited anxiously all day since he had received Ogwyn's book first thing that morning. The anticipation was more than expected from a simple meeting. It was the fact that he had to try and keep it all a secret that made him tense. He did not want to be locked away and thought of as a mad man, but he would not sit and do nothing while a perilous doom awaited the city. He stood in his window looking over the city, as it slowly got darker with the approach of dusk. Nathaniel had not even looked at the book that Ogwyn had sent back, he had placed it on his desk and not thought about it since.

To keep busy, as he looked over the city he followed the streets which he could follow to the tavern, using the gaps between the rooftops as a map. He also traced the descent from the academy to the tavern; the best routes for Ogwyn to follow to make the quickest time. It kept him preoccupied for a time, pondering how one street was more direct but another less busy at that time of evening. He chuckled to himself, remembering some of the encounters he had when walking certain streets. It made him realise how much he loved his city and how empty he would feel if it were gone. His stomach tightened and his fists clenched. He was determined not to let the city fall; not because of an ignorant few who were too stubborn to see the truth. It made him angry. He walked away from the window into the middle of the dull room, both fists clenched.

There had to be more he could do to prepare the city for the coming attack. He needed someone with authority to believe him but he knew there was nobody with high enough authority who would. He felt helpless to prevent the worst and it only frustrated him further. He would not however, sit by idly and do nothing. The very least he could do to save the city and its people, was better than doing nothing and allowing the enemy to consume the city in darkness. Even if he alone did something, he knew that was worth something.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Martyn at the door with a sly smile on his face. He stepped into the room uninvited as usual, looking around from left to right. "You must be getting bored of these four walls Nathaniel,"
"I am passing the time," he replied quietly,
"Doing what?" asked Martyn almost sounding astonished, "It must be like a prison being off duty in here all day,"
"I am free to leave whenever," shot back Nathaniel, "The door is not locked. See," he added with a smirk. Martyn laughed and sat down on his bed, again uninvited. The two men were good friends and always spoke to each other in a slightly insulting but unmeant way. Martyn saw the book on his desk and picked it up to read the cover. He read aloud the words 'The Craft of Wood Carving'. "Reading is it then?" he asked sarcastically. "Well I have time on my hands Martyn. Have you seen the academy library?" he posed, knowing the answer to be no.

Nathaniel looked out of the window again. It was time he left, but with Martyn watching he had to be careful. He was his friend but he was a liability; he was only too ignorant to see it at that moment. "Off somewhere?" Asked Martyn as Nathaniel dug around in his chest. "I am going to the Drunken Giant, coming?" replied Nathaniel; fully aware that Martyn had duty that night and so could not go. The Drunken Giant was their usual watering hole and so it was not anywhere out of the ordinary for him to go. Perhaps he did not usually go alone, but he was not usually off duty for a whole week and so it was the perfect place to go. "You know I am on duty tonight," replied Martyn, longing to spend the night drinking with his friend.

Time was getting on and he had to be at the tavern to meet Ogwyn. He needed to be quick but he knew of an alleyway that ran right to the back of the tavern. He had a few streets to travel before he got there and it meant taking a slightly different route to the ones he had followed from his window. It was different travelling the streets at night when he was not wearing his guard's clothes. People did not recognise him as a guardsman and there was no graceful bowing. It was slightly surreal but at the same time he was glad every time he walked out as a normal citizen. It was quite nice to be unrecognised and enjoy himself without the worry of his duties or the constant attention of the people.